Correction of priorities in the Armed Forces: new brigades are no longer being formed, corps are being created
12 February 11:42
The formation of new brigades in the army has been suspended and the main efforts will now be focused on manning those brigades that already exist and are already working on the front line. Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and former commander of the 93rd Brigade “Kholodny Yar,” said this in an interview with We-Ukraine, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
During the conversation, the official also focused on the process of transitioning the Ukrainian army to a corps system, emphasizing that such a transition is long overdue.
According to Pavlo Palisa, there is a plan for such a transformation, which has been worked out in detail by the General Staff.
“This will help us to be more effective on the battlefield, will help us to adapt the existing management system to the requirements dictated by the war. That is, the transition to the corps system is not just a requirement of the time, it will enable us to be more effective on the battlefield in terms of management and use resources more efficiently,” the official emphasized.
Pavlo Palisa also said that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and, first of all, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Colonel Oleh Apostol, are currently reviewing the program of basic general military training, taking into account the identified shortcomings and the advice given by the military unit commanders themselves in order to adapt the program to the requirements that are currently on the battlefield. As Pavlo Palisa emphasized, the main idea is not just to conduct a training course with a soldier, but to make sure that he can survive on the battlefield.
The Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine also spoke about the training of Ukrainian officers and sergeants. According to him, the emphasis should be on the study of analytical experience and modern leadership. For example, in the near future, the National Army Academy will try to introduce a course of lectures on leadership with the participation of modern generals who have proven their effectiveness on the battlefield.
According to Pavlo Palisa, new courses and new programs are also being developed to train sergeants.
A month ago, journalist Yuriy Butusov reported, citing his own sources, that Volodymyr Zelenskyy had decided to stop sending personnel to form new brigades in the Defense Forces. According to this decision, all mobilized personnel should be used to replenish “exclusively experienced combat brigades.” According to Yuriy Butusov, this decision was made after the story of the formation and training of the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in France was published. According to the journalist, the newly formed units cannot replace the so-called “old” brigades in certain areas of the frontline on their own due to the inexperience of commanders, poor training of personnel and low level of equipment and reconnaissance drones.
To win, we must change
This is how Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi identified one of the priorities for the Ukrainian army. Summarizing his first year at the helm of the Armed Forces of Ukraine a few days ago, he emphasized that the experience of three years of combat operations against superior enemy forces dictates the need for changes in the formation of groups and the structure of troops to become more stable and manageable. In this regard, he mentioned the transition to the corps system.
“We have conducted a thorough analysis of the effectiveness of the existing command and control system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Based on its results, the National Security and Defense Council put into effect the Concept of Reorganization of the Armed Forces in Warfare, which we developed to maximize the combat potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We have practically started forming army corps as the first step towards improving our army,” emphasized Oleksandr Syrskyi.
He also mentioned another priority: to win, prepare. According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, every effort is being made to improve the training of Ukrainian servicemen. In particular, the period of basic general military training has been extended to 1.5 months, the possibility of extending basic training to 2 months is being considered, instructor training is being strengthened, and a successful experiment has been conducted to conduct basic general military training at the rear of combat brigades. He also emphasized the importance of providing a 14-day adaptation course for soldiers in military units before combat operations.
